The U.S. Department of Energy, Under Secretary of Energy, Mark W. Menezes has announced up to $59 million for new and innovative advanced vehicle technologies research. Funded through the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, this funding opportunity seeks projects to address priorities in advanced batteries and electric drive systems, energy efficient mobility systems, materials for more efficient powertrains, co-optimised advanced engine, and fuel technologies, and alternative fuels and new mobility options.

“Every day, American consumers and businesses rely on transportation for jobs, schools, and commerce,” said Under Secretary Menezes. “Through this funding opportunity, we are looking to partner with the best and brightest minds across the country to drive early-stage R&D for vehicle technologies forward, so that all Americans can access more affordable, secure, and reliable transportation.”

Topic areas for this funding opportunity include the following:

Topic 1: Solid State Batteries – Materials, Diagnostic Tools, and Modeling (up to $12.5 million) –Projects will focus on developing new solid electrolytes that can address materials challenges and enable next-generation chemistries that reduce costs and improve energy density and cycle life.

Topic 2: Electric Motor Research Increasing Power Density 8x (up to $3.5 million) – Projects will focus on novel, innovative materials and designs that decrease the size and increase the power density of electric drive systems by a factor of eight, while achieving cost reduction and performance improvement targets for more affordable electric drive systems.

Topic 3: Energy Efficient Mobility Systems Research (up to $7 million) – Projects will focus on vehicle automation and connectivity to improve transportation system-level efficiency for travelers, vehicles, and infrastructure, reducing the time, cost, and energy required to move people and goods.

Last month, the DOE granted $54 million in funding for wind and solar energy research. Sanctioning $28 million to fund wind energy research and another $ 36 million to advance solar energy integration, that it expects will advance solar energy’s role in strengthening the resilience of the Nation’s electricity grid.

Ayush Verma

Ayush is a staff writer at saurenergy.com and writes on renewable energy with a special focus on solar and wind. Prior to this, as an engineering graduate trying to find his niche in the energy journalism segment, he worked as a correspondent for iamrenew.com.